Search For a Purpose: Refined (Part Two)
by The Randomind
Summary: The deafening chaos was shattered into silence as the instant of realization dawned upon us all. Demon, human, pokemon, it no longer mattered what one was. It was at that moment when all beings looked up as one, and saw what was before us. And only one thought came to our minds: "What have we done?"
1. Next Journey In Sight

** Hey, guys. This story comes after two stories: Part One of this story and Search For Family, in that order. If you haven't seen the former, read it before this one. If you haven't read Family, then there is a spoiler at the end of this intro. The story begins with the majority of characters from both stories returning, though Adam, Ruby, and a couple others will get the main spotlight. I kind of didn't put enough attention on the main characters in Part one. Anyway, the next set of paragraphs is a spoiler for Search For Family, so if you want to see that story (it's not that good), go see that. Otherwise, here's the spoiler, and on with the story!**

**Search For Family starts with where the new Part One of this story ended, with Adam's ten-year-old cousin Maria trying to find a new home after being kicked out of her own family. Eventually she met a ralts named Mace, who just turned eleven. They then find Belle, a girl in her late teens who was in the same nomadic group as Adam's mother Clara (before said group disbanded). Belle took the two in.**

**Soon Curtis, the youngest Purifier (13 years) tells his story about how he came from a world that was destroyed in a nuclear war, and that he is the sole survivor. ****A while later, Ben, a demon well recognized among his comrades for his fighting capability (despite being fourteen) finds out about Adam's demon, who went crazy after his fight with his host. Ben snaps the demon out of it via fighting. When he wakes the demon is given the name Alpha by others.**

**When Maria, Mace, and Belle look at Adam and company's old home, Curtis is caught by the Feared Four drawing the sword in Lostlorn Forest (the one that kills just by touching it) with no ill effects. Josh And Alex return to Unova and meet up with Maria and the other two. They go to the Purifiers to see that Adam's soul was chipped during his fight, which made him comatose. Eventually Alpha confronts the others, reveals that he took the piece of his soul, and fights Curtis, Mace and Belle. Alpha looses and is captured. He escapes, but gives up the piece, allowing Adam to be repaired. A week passes and this story starts.**

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><p><strong><span><em>Chapter One: Next Journey In Sight<em>**

_Purifier Base Andrew's POV_

"Boss!" I jumped out of my daydream at the sound of Helena's voice.

"Huh?! Oh...Yes, Helena?"

"...You don't look so good."

"I don't feel well, either. I'm going to a doctor this afternoon." I clutched my head, which didn't stop my ears from ringing.

"That's good...I came with some good news and some bad news."

"Tell me the bad news first."

"...As crazy as this sounds...One of our weapons departments was raided a week ago."

"A week ago?! How did we not find this out until now?!"

"Apparently those demons have figured out our systems, and they covered up their tracks."

_Alpha was right,_ I thought, _he _is _a fast learner...that piece..._

"Make sure that any and all other areas increase their security and enforce a stronger 24/7 watch! We can't let them have another victory."

"...Understood."

"Something wrong?"

"A few things, actually. One thing that has been bothering me is...Adam. He seems fine..."

"But he's not the same. We never expected the procedure to go without a hitch in such a short time. You remember well how long it took to fix up one of our own. It should have been inherent that the doctors be patient with this operation."

"...Be honest with me, Andrew...Are we really doing the right thing? This is the first time that the enemy has actually tried to make peace."

"That demon's lofty ideals are unrealistic. Good-hearted, but unrealistic, assuming he's even honest."

"Maybe in today's age, but do you see a future like the one he asks for?"

"I want to believe it, I really do. But I don't see such a possible peace. People can be extremely reluctant to change, often in a violent manner."

"...I'll deliver the message, A...Boss." Helena walked out of the office. Resting my head on the desk, I resumed my trance of questioning everything. For so long I knew we were doing the right thing, but ever since..."that" tragedy, I wondered if I could ever forgive myself. When I figured out the answer, I only felt worse.

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><p><span><em>Ruby's POV<em>

I was inside Adam's hospital room. It had been nearly two years since what happened at the pond. I had woken up from my coma two weeks ago, and Adam just a few days from now. I sat next to him while he lied in his bed.

"How are you feeling, Adam?" I asked, trying to smile as best as I could. Missing nearly two years of my life, a little longer for Adam, should have ended with cheering, but I knew what happened. Even though they fixed the damage on Adam caused by his demon, I knew they botched something during the operation. The nervous look on all the Four's faces proved it.

"Fine..." I could tell Adam was trying to suppress what he was feeling.

"You don't have to hide it, Adam, be honest."

"...I don't know. I mean, I feel fine, but I don't feel the same. Even at that, a name always pops into my head, and it annoys me that I have no idea behind it. 'Alpha...' who or what is Alpha?"

"Some people are here to see us. Most of them couldn't make it, but they're glad that we're okay. Should we let them in."

"Go ahead." He smiled. I let our company in. Josh, Hannah, and a couple others who we had yet to meet. To be honest, I hardly recognized the two for a second. The other two who we did not know were a woman with violet hair and green eyes, a year younger than Josh, who was 21, and a little brunette with dark brown eyes, two years younger than me.

"...You two feeling okay?" Josh asked.

"Yeah...Have we met?" Adam turned to the unfamiliar visitors.

"I haven't introduced myself," answered the older woman, "and it's been a long time since you two last saw each other." The woman was referring to the littler one.

"M..Maria?" Adam sat up.

"Adam..." The little girl walked forward and hugged Adam with a tear in her eye, and Adam returned the hug.

"Where is the rest of..." I wanted to ask where the rest of Maria's family was, but when I realized who I was talking about I figured they wouldn't have come anyway.

"What did we miss during the last couple years?" Adam wondered. So they all explained what had happened in that time, about how they all found each other. Thankfully they were slow in telling us all this. They also told us about how they found Adam's demon, apparently now named Alpha, organizing other demons together. For a second I thought I noticed Adam cringe a little. Ryan wandered in.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting a family reunion here, but soon you four will need to leave. A few things need to be told to Adam, and it needs to be said in private."

"Don't worry, Ryan, it won't be much longer." Ryan left.

"...So you spent all this time, Maria, looking for me?" Adam asked his cousin.

"Yeah. You were the only family I had left."

"By the sound of it, it seems you already made your own..." It was apparent to him that the rest of us were hiding something. "...Is there something I should know?"

"...Adam, do you know why you were in that coma?" Josh stepped forward.

"No, should I?"

"...When Alpha attacked you at the pond, he chipped your soul, keeping a piece for himself. The Purifiers took it back, but when they fixed you up, the doctors were worried that they botched something. You're not expected to be let go for a while."

"...How long?"

"I don't know, hopefully not long..." Everyone but me left a little while after that. A few minutes later Andrew and Umbra Vis arrived. The both of us couldn't keep our glare off of the ghost.

"Why are _you_ here?" Adam grumbled.

"It's okay, Adam," Andrew tried to calm us, "He's with us now."

"...I don't expect you to forgive me," the ghost added, "you wouldn't be the first person to hold something against me."

"So what did you want to tell us?" I asked.

"Two things: A choice and a favor." Andrew took a crystal out of his pocket. "I believe this is yours." He put it on a table next to Adam. "The choice is whether you want to leave now or later, after we run a few more tests on you."

"Didn't we already...It's about the star, isn't it?"

"Star?" Umbra Vis looked at Andrew.

"What are you-"

"When my demon attacked Ruby and me, he said that there was something dangerous inside me, a star. He said it was the reason he wanted me dead. Is that why you want more tests?"

"...Yes. We wanted to know more about it to see if Alpha was telling the truth. While studying the sword from the forest, as well as its counterpart and that crystal, we found a way to temporarily dampen soul power to almost nothing. Currently we are trying to create a permanent version that will neutralize only the demonic power in others. Once we let you go, we'll need to put a dampener on you as a safety measure. If you really have the star, we can't risk its ignition."

"...Okay...So what's the favor?"

"When we set you free, we want you to at least have an eye out for any suspicious demon activity. They normally are loners barely connected, but they've been organizing while you were comatose."

"Why?" I asked.

"I'm not certain, but I could think of a few ideas." We all turned to the ghost. "They want to break free of Purifier containment, or they're after the power Andrew drained from me. Most likely both. They have no idea that taking that marble would be pointless."

"Huh?" I asked.

"It's my power, so only I can use it."

"Oh..." Everyone stood silent.

"...No worries, Adam. I'll make things right this time." Andrew was about to leave when Adam stopped him.

"What did the doctors mess up?"

"...I beg your pardon..."

"I was told that whoever fixed me did something wrong. Do you know what it was they did wrong?"

"...No, but I will have a word with them." He left. Not knowing what else to say, Umbra Vis left as well.

"...Two years...I still can't believe it." Adam sighed. "...Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

"...When Umbra Vis almost killed me, someone came to me in a dream, or something. It was a woman who I never met before, but for some reason I felt like I knew her for as long as I can remember.

"What did she look like?"

"...Read my mind." I tried to picture what she looked like.

"...She...She _does _seem familiar...But why? I don't remember seeing her anywhere...What are you doing to the lamp?"

"Trying to make the light stop flickering. It bothers me."

"Why?"

"I don't know, it just does." It didn't take long for me to wonder how far the extent of the mistake's effects reached.

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><p><em><span>Uncharted Area of Unova Normal POV<span>_

"So why did we raid this building?" A demon asked another.

"The Purifiers have more than enough weapons to attack us with, Ben. But those weapons need ammunition, which is now limited because of us." The second demon sat down and munched on an oran berry. "Besides, most of this we can use to our advantage."

"How? We don't have weapons, Alpha."

"Have you ever heard of Orachalcum?"

"No."

"It is a special metal the Purifiers use in pretty much everything they have. We stormed this place for three main purposes: A guerrilla attack on the Purifiers, stealing information, and taking advantage of this useful metal." Alpha picked a chunk off of a conveyor belt and gave it to Ben. "See that window up there. Hit it with a baseball-sized shot, but shoot the energy through this chunk." Ben did so, and up shot something as big as a bowling ball through the window.

"Holy s***..."

"Sprinkle this stuff like pepper on one meal and it'll replace having to eat souls for a week."

"Alpha, you still know that not many of us actually hunt, right? The natural food is only toxic to some."

"I know, but not only can we defend ourselves with this stuff, now the Purifiers have one less reason to bother us..." Alpha looked at the facility "...Even if we added a new one."

"It's a start...S***t's going to hit the fan for this, won't it?"

"Maybe, but with this stuff, we will have an advantage."

"...You've changed since we first met, Alpha."

"That's not saying much, Ben. I was warped by that shard, remember?"

"I mean after that. Even when you were saved, you weren't the most peaceful person. Now you're trying for an armistice with the people demons despise most."

"I think the demons would have tried to free themselves from containment anyway. It might as well be now while it is relatively quiet."

"Why do you think Andrew thinks nobody could handle our existence?"

"He trusts no one. The mindset is that all hell would break loose if the public knew who we were. I bet he thinks the same about his own faction."

"What are you saying?"

"He is afraid. He has made a world made of cardboard around himself. Physically, said world is more than a match for us, but all it takes is one wrong push for it to collapse on its own. Once he realizes that he can't go on like this forever, a deal can be made. All that is left is to take care of Adam."

"Still paranoid about him, huh?"

"He is a powder keg, even an opposite of Andrew: one wrong push, and everything goes to hell for us, and everyone else that lives on this world." I wanted to ask him something, but decided not to. "We can use this place for shelter. Winter is coming, and I heard it will be a record low for a decade."

"I'll tell the others..."

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><p><span><em>Frank's POV<em>

"I get that, Mace, but that kind of strategy is wasteful and risky." I was talking to a gallade that was a close friend of Adam's cousin. Apparently Adam's demon had killed off his family in a crazed state or whatever. This guy loved fighting, but he was pretty naïve.

"If you overpower them in one shot, it's an easy win once they lose their ground."

"And what if they can take that impact, or even counter it? You leave yourself defenseless. Power isn't everything. You need to be smart, too."

"Have you fought a demon before?"

"Okay, first off, you lost to Alpha like a...you can't deny that. Second, most of us were once sandwiched between a pack of demons and a knife-wielding murderer that somehow rose from the grave. I don't think you should be talking about what matters more in a fight."

"What are you two talking about?" A violet haired girl butted in to our conversation.

"Belle, what do you think matters more, strength, or brains?"

"Brains, obviously."

"What?"

"Not everything can be solved with brute force."

"...Relax, Mace. How about before we split, I teach you a few good strategies. A little practice can't hurt."

"Okay."

As happy as I was for Adam waking up, my celebration wasn't long. In the near-two years that had passed, Hannah and I failed to find anything to treat her. I knew that Lavender Town's curse affected every resident young and old, but I never thought it could accumulate even after having left the town for years. The poor girl hasn't known peace and quiet in a long time. Not only is the hearing things, her vision is being thrown off, too. I didn't know people could even see in negative.

I wish I knew what to do. Hannah has always smiled every day, but she can't hide her pain from me. Every time I see her I only picture the inevitable, and she even caught me tearing up at a time just thinking about it. We already lost Nathan, I didn't want to lose anyone else.

"Are you okay, Frank?" I heard Josh.

"...No. I'll tell you about it later. How's Adam?"

"He fell back asleep." Ruby came over. "I guess two years wasn't enough sleep for him."

"...I'm not the only concerned one here, am I?" Josh spoke up.

"Aren't we all? Look at this." Ruby showed us her old bracelet. Four of the diamonds, separated between other gems, were glowing different colors. "All of these gems are supposed to be plastic, and the fifth diamond glowed dimly when it was close to Adam."

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><p><strong>That's all for now. I would really appreciate it if reviews were written. Your input is extremely important. See you all later.<strong>

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><p><span>Differences Between Versions:<span>

-Alpha didn't have a name in the old version, as Search For Family wasn't made at the time.

-There was originally no reason for Adam's coma for the same reason as Alpha lacking a name.

-The old version never had a demon's input on the Purifier-demon struggle.

-Alpha was a loner in the old version, and the only reason he interacted with any other demons was to screw them over when they had something valuable. In this version, he joined them long before this story started, and stayed to genuinely help them.

-Two things are uncovered in this version as the story progresses. One will be directly revealed, but the other will need to be taken from certain clues. The difference is that these "points" were implemented in the old version, but not enough for anyone to get.

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><p><span><em>Somewhere "Otherworldly" Unknown POV<em>

_**So...You still want to play, even after I broke you, after I destroyed everything you ever created...Good. I was getting bored anyway...**_


	2. One Past, Many Views

**Hey, guys...I'm really sorry for being too late on this. It was a new semester for me, so I had to adjust to it, and in doing so I didn't have time to make a good chapter in time. This chapter will be the final chapter before things finally get moving in the story.**

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><p><strong><span><em>Chapter Two: One Past, Many Views<em>**

_Purifier Base Adam's POV_

The pitch darkness around me gave was more than maybe a sign that I was asleep, and that someone was trying to communicate with me. The only times something like this happened was when my demon was taunting me, or when that one woman gave me a visit. For a while I skipped trying to figure out where I was in the darkness and just looked for anyone. I have to be honest, not being able to see anything in front of me, yet seeing myself crystal-clearly gave me a weird feeling.

"Two years is a long time to be unconscious," a familiar voice spoke behind me. It was that woman from when Umbra Vis tried to take the piece I had. She seemed a little sad.

"...Before I fell into that two-year thing, I saw a blue light. Was that you?" I could hear quiet but unclear speech coming from all directions, but I tried to ignore it.

"Yes. I tried to save you, but I failed to make it in time. I'm sorry."

"It's okay...Sorry if I sound nosy, but you knew Umbra Vis for a long time, right?" She nodded. "Can you tell me...what exactly was the Limbonite Massacre?"

"...Before I tell you, you may want to be told a few things."

"Okay."

"You already know that your world isn't the only one in this universe, nor is said universe the only of itself. Limbo is not only a different world, but a different universe, with only one world in it."

"Umbra Vis said that the dead and living could walk hand-in-hand. Was that true?" I sat down and listened.

"There are two types of dimensions: Physical, where living beings lived, nearly isolated from most souls of those who passed. Afterlife realms were where said deceased remained. Limbo was, in a way, both; it was structured like a physical realm, but allowed souls total freedom to interact, like an afterlife realm. Umbra Vis worked for nearly his entire first life creating the paradise of paradises."

"That sounds like a big target for some crazy people."

"Yes. The one who ultimately destroyed Limbo was insane. He was a weak demon at first, so most of us looked the other way...until it was too late. As soon as he destroyed his own world he invaded Limbo. No one who was there survived, and Umbra Vis was the only one who could protect his soul after death."

"So you weren't there when it actually happened."

"No, I was not. My sisters pulled me away before I could help...Even now, I wish they hadn't."

"Sisters?"

"I'm one of three triplets, at least in my original life. The other two don't like it when I visit other worlds, unless it was in a life."

"Were you multi-incarnate? Your family?" The voices from before were now getting a little more clear. The speech was definitely of a man. I even felt a little out of it for a second. I didn't know why, but his words were costing me what little focus I actually needed.

"Yes..." She noticed that something wasn't right. "Adam?" I managed to snap out of it and focus again.

"Sorry...Do you hear any other voices?"

"No. Did you?"

"Yeah...But now they're gone."

"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about yourself?"

"...Go ahead." I owed it to her.

"What was your fondest memory about your parents?"

"...I think one of my favorite memories was with my mother, about a month after I met Ruby. My mother, Ruby, and I went to a play at the music theater in Nimbasa City. The three of us enjoyed the comedy."

"The one about the prankster zorua?"

"You saw it?"

"Yes. I had a good laugh the first time I saw it."

"...The reason that it was my favorite memory was because it was the first time I felt alive again after how I met Ruby."

"...What do you think about what Derek did to your parents?"

"I feel both angry and confused when I think about that night. He murdered my parents, but he wanted me. He gave me what would have been a fatal wound by himself when I was fourteen. Why would he bring that many people with him to kill six-year-old me?" _Where did I even get that star from?_ I thought on top of what I said.

"Maybe you'll find your answer in the future."

"For some reason my healing stopped after the time we first met. Do you know what could have caused that to happen?"

"Well, when were the times you _were_ capable of healing?"

"Ah...When Derek stabbed me and Alpha gave me my power, and a few seconds after Umbra Vis killed my resurrected father to restore himself...how did that half of him even get into my father anyway?"

"...And how did you feel during those times?"

"...Angry."

"Adam, you know that all people share the same skills, but are different in how well they perform said skills, right?"

"Yeah, isn't that talent passed down by generation or something?"

"It is, and healing does not run in your family. Your best attribute iscreating energy constructs of solid objects, but you have used your power in other, more subtle ways."

"Oh...how do you know all this?"

"Sorry?"

"How do you know so much about me?"

"...Andrew was kind enough to tell me a few things...Anyway, back to the topic." She was lying. Her face gave it away for just a moment." Your healing ability may be based on that star. It's only happened in times when you felt anger, and healing isn't an inherent skill of yours."

"What's your point?"

"Exercise caution. All I ask is that you learn how to contain what is already inside you." She began to fade.

"Wait, will I see you again?"

"You will, but next time we will meet somewhere else."

"Adam." I heard Andrew's voice crystal-clearly. And I woke up.

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><p><span><em>Andrew's POV<em>

"Huh?!" Adam jumped a little, and hit his head on a metal bar on the back of the bed.

"Did I ruin a good dream?" I put away a tool I had in my hand.

"No...What's that?"

"Nothing special, it's just a laser pointer."

"...Did you want to tell me something?"

"Can you read this?" I handed Adam a book that was found near where the shard of Adam's soul was retrieved. It must have been familiar to Adam, as the look on his face implied.

"Where...where did you find this? We've been looking for it for a long time."

"That's not important. Can you read it?"

"Yeah, I can read it. Did you want me to translate stuff or something?"

"...You may as well. Does the book say anything about those stars?" I myself knew basics of the language in that book, but when Alpha was interrogated before he escaped, he claimed he and Adam could read the book. I wasn't going to just take his word for it.

"...It does." Adam flipped to a set of pages, only to find that the ink on the paper was streaked and spread. Everything was blurry. "Did this part get wet or something...wait, here's a safe part." After a few seconds he spoke again. "So the stars are triggered, or sometimes even fueled, by a specific emotion from the bearer or anyone near them...It also says that, other than the trigger and connections between stars, there's nothing that separates these things from normal soul energy...Who made this book? The cover doesn't have a name."

"...Lunch starts in an hour, in case you wanted a heads up."

I left with the book, curious at what the relic piece inside him was doing to him. If what Alpha said was true, then Adam could know much more than he thinks he does. Belle and that gallade Mark or whoever had left the base and said goodbye to Maria, who decided to stay with Adam and the others. I went to a medical office and spoke with a few doctors that operated on Adam's soul. Ryan tagged along the way, also curious to know.

"So what exactly was it that went wrong?" I asked. The doctors were unusually nervous. I was afraid the damage was going to be more serious than we thought.

"Well, looking at the records, the mistake was in a part that won't actually affect Adam in any noticeable way.."

"What the hell!" Ryan complained. "You mean everyone got scared for nothing?!"

"There is still cause for concern. Although Adam is fine, we found something that hadn't surfaced until recently. Only after the operation did it become apparent." A piece of paper full of charts and graphs was handed to me. "During the procedure we found a connection between Adam's soul and the star. There was another connection, but it was severed on one end."

"What is that supposed to mean?" The records were right in front of me, but I didn't understand what they were saying. "Was it from Alpha? Was the star connected on two ends?"

"It means that Adam may have previously had a second star in him, and the connections imply that he kept those stars for a long time. He may have even been born with them. The one star that's still inside him responded to the operation. What ever that connection is, it's active."

"Are you saying the star is more likely to ignite now?" Ryan asked.

"Possibly, if it hasn't done so already."

"...Well, Adam has given us permission for only a couple more tests, so let's take care of those while we can." I left, with Ryan at my side. I couldn't read his mind, but it was apparent that he wanted something.

"...Boss? May I request something?"

"What is it?"

"I'd like to re-investigate a certain subject, find out if we overlooked something we needed to know."

"What subject?"

"John and Clara."

"Permission denied."

"Denied?"

"The demons are organizing. They already took over an important part of our supply lines. We need to act accordingly."

"I don't need my team. I can investigate alone."

"What about your unit. Don't they need a leader?"

"They know how to manage themselves. I actually was able to exceed the year's quota in funds because I could focus more time on the refinement centers. They'll be fine without me."

"...Okay. But if you're going to take on an old case like this, you may need some help. I can assign someone to help you, but _one_ person.

"Thanks." Ryan left, most likely to get ready for his investigation.

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><p><span><em>Curtis' POV<em>

"...So you made this thing?" That ghost had been wandering around the base. He only stayed when he saw me holding the black blade he guarded for God-knows-how-long.

"Yes, and you must be different from any other, since you're still holding it. It makes me curious that a kid like you isn't insane, much less dead."

"Not very comforting..."

"As I recall, you are from an entirely different world."

"Correct. I'm the only survivor...no, not even that. I should be nothing right now, along with everyone else I knew."

"What happened?"

"...The people I came from...never knew true peace. Every time a conflict was settled, another would erupt for some reason...There was always a reason." I sneered at the thought of the news casts that would blare propaganda like their lives depended on it. "Weapons stockpiled and became more advanced. Eventually bombs capable of destroying everything, even souls, were created."

"...Bombs? How powerful were these?"

"One blast killed 90 percent of the population, and the rest from the inescapable fallout."

"They actually used that?!"

"Yup..." Thinking about that one bomb I saw fall to the ground made my chest ache. "I was even caught in the blast. The Purifiers found what was left of my broken spirit, the only one that wasn't completely obliterated by the last or the radiation, and gave me new life. Literally. They fixed what was damaged, and I spent a lot of time in therapy. Being vaporized in an instant while losing everyone you ever knew is more than a little traumatic."

"From where, or whom, did the body and soul reparations come?"

"...Mainly Derek."

"Really..."

"The soul part came directly from him. He also donated his DNA, which was modified so I could live in a new body."

"...There's more to this, isn't there. You cared deeply for Derek."

"He was a second father to me. He helped me pull myself together after giving me life. When everything was gloomy he always had a way to cheer me up. When I was rejected by almost everyone, he would make me feel like I still meant something. I always downplayed my thoughts about when Derek attacked John and Clara, but inside I was devastated. The one man that saved me was on death row for murder and attempted genocide." There was a small awkward silence that hung over the corner we stood in. "...Sometimes I wonder if I ever really knew anyone."

"Umbra Vis," Andrew approached us, "how qualified are you in forensic science?"

"Excellent. Why do you ask?"

"Ryan is looking for someone to help investigate a certain event. Would you like to help him?"

"...I'll do it. It gets too boring in here anyway." Umbra Vis floated off.

"Are you feeling okay, Curtis?" The Boss asked me.

"Fine. Just thinking about a few things..." The Boss left. I saw Maria walking up to me.

"Shouldn't you be with Adam?"

"He fell asleep a while ago. He seems to sleep a lot."

"Well, doing nothing for two years won't exactly make you want to be up and running."

"...It's still hard to believe that you're fifteen, but you have a high rank in a syndicate of mainly upper-twenty-somethings."

"Sometimes I have trouble grasping that, too..."

"What's wrong?"

"...Nothing important. You should join Josh and the others. I'm sure they'd love your company."

"...Okay. Bye." She left.

_...Why, Derek..._

* * *

><p><span><em>Ruby's POV<em>

"This was that book?" Josh saw the unreadable letters. Everyone was in a circle around Adam, who was rubbing his head.

"Yep." I answered.

"I've never seen any of these symbols before."

"The language is supposedly dead." Josh pulled out an old brown booklet in his hand. A symbol on the cover matched the one on his shirt. "This thing is supposed to be a translator dictionary, but the words in that book are a different form of the language."

"Where did you get that thing from anyway?" I asked.

"My cousin let me use it before my family died in a cursed house."

"Grey?"

"Yeah. Remember when I told you he worked with John?"

"Yeah...So how many more tests do you need, Adam?" Hannah wondered.

"I think there's two more. Once those are finished we can leave this place." Maria came into the room.

"Hey, Maria." Josh gave Maria some room in the little circle.

"Speaking of, what do you guys want to do when we leave?" I asked. "It's been almost two years."

"...Well, we could take a tour of the region." Josh suggested. "I heard that lots of things are changing. Plus you two can catch up on what you missed.

"Sounds good to me." Adam looked to me. "How about you, Ruby?"

"I agree. It sounds fun. The gym in Nimbasa is almost done with construction. Maybe we can go there first." We kept rambling on about what we would do after getting out of here. If there was one thing that came out of it, it was that we were going to have one amazing trip. All the while, I noticed Hannah spacing out from time to time.

* * *

><p><strong>Please leave a review. I know not much progress has been made, but I still need some opinions so I know that I'm doing something with this. See you all later.<strong>

* * *

><p><span>Differences between versions:<span>

-The identity of Limbo's destroyer has changed between versions. This actually doesn't make as big of a difference as it would seem.

-Curtis is given a bigger role in this version.

-The Expositionary (joke name for "the book") didn't exist in the old version...at least not in it's current form.

-The piece of the relic inside Adam supposedly grants knowledge to its holder once one learns how to find that knowledge inside said piece. This was explained in the old version, but was overlooked in the new version. (This was explained in Search for Family, but this list will assume nobody actually read it. There is a spoiler in chapter one if you don't want to read that whole story.)

-The reason for the new journey changed between versions as a result of the differences in Part One's events.

-This version will take a much slower pace, even when compared to the new Part One.


	3. One Calm Day Before The Storm

**_Chapter Three: One Calm Day Before The Storm_**

_Uncharted Area of Unova Alpha's POV_

We were expecting the Purifiers to cut the power to the building, which they did, but we were not expecting the backup generator to give up so quickly. It looked like it could have run for much longer than it did. The storm out there was showing no mercy. Anyone without good snow gear would freeze to death within minutes of walking through the doorway.

"At least this place is well-insulated," Ben tried to cheer me up, "it's not like we're in a barn."

"True...It is also good that the food is in good supply. We can outlast the storm and the Purifiers."

"Out of the hundred-something demons here, you seem to be the most optimistic about our situation with the Purifiers...If not with the building."

"If we get the people to-"

"The people? You mean the only people that properly know of our existence and are glorifying the Purifiers?! They see us as monsters!"

"Are there not non-demon criminals, too? Did a squad of Purifiers not attempt to murder a family? Unlike you, I keep up with the news. Nobody is certain about the Purifiers. I even met one person that was just as afraid of them as many are of us."

"How did you...Oh, yeah, you're half-zoroark..."

"I am going to get some snow gear on and scout the area. I'll let you know if anyone is coming."

"...Why are we trying to fortify ourselves if our aim is peace?"

"I want peace for everyone, but that peace cannot exist if neither side changes. We need to defend ourselves until we can show them who we really are."

"And how do you expect us to do anything when people will just simply scream and run from our sight?"

"That's where the two of us come in. I will explain later, after sweeping the area." The layers and layers I had to put on got really annoying. One zipper would get stuck, and after fixing it a tucked area would fall out of place. After bundling up, I went outside, pretending to be just an average Joe outside. The snowflakes flying fast into my face really bugged me.

**Anything so far?** I heard Ben in my head.

_Stay silent until I find something! I cannot afford to be exposed!_ It may have been paranoia, but I thought something moved in the distance. I kept walking around while avoiding any attention. The constant barrage of snowflakes in my eyes were annoying, but at least I could see using soul power. My toes and fingers began to hurt a little. I carefully kept myself warm with an extremely tuned down Flamethrower, one that barely subsided the cold. Winter was usually my favorite holiday, but the storm was giving me second thoughts.

To speed the screening up I tried to pickup and telepathic conversations. One interesting, but irrelevant, conversation came up, but I seemed to have missed most of it.

**Yes, Mother, I understand. **The first voice spoke. It sounded like a man I met before.

**_Good. I know this was much to ask of you, but I'm glad you are willing to keep this up. _**The other voice was of a woman, though it was hard to predict an exact age.

_Lots of errands, I guess,_ I joked in my head.

**One question, Mother: What will I do once finish the job?**

_Where have I heard that voice before?_

_**Is there anything you wanted to do?**_

**...Frankly, yes. I already see one of those goals in sight.**

_Wait...I know this guy..._

**_Already?_**

**Yes.**

I started to hurry back to the building. I had a feeling that the two who I was spying on noticed me, and picked up a speed-walking pace.

**Alpha! **I heard Ben in my head.

_What now-_

**There's a Purifier coming toward you! I see him!**

_Dammit! _I stopped and looked in all directions, and saw no one._ You certain?! I see no one!_

**He's near!**

_Where...Oh...Of course..._ I saw an all-too-familiar face in the trees.

"You're...Alpha, am I right?"

"Derek..." The former Purifier jumped from the tree and landed in the snow with a _Poof!_

**You know this Purifier?!**

"I heard about your little story. You've made quite a feat, the first demon to create his own body and soul."

"What would you know about me?" I kept a distance, making sure a surprise attack was impossible.

"I have my sources, and I know you were spying on me."

"Then what exactly do you want from me?"

"Just a little talk, along with some of the other demons."

"...Why?"

**We can't trust this guy. He probably has a wire or something.**

_He is officially 'dead,' and Andrew wants him gone. There is a good chance he is not working for anyone important._

"You want the upper hand against Andrew. I can help you."

"And why would you help me?"

"Because 'An enemy of my enemy is my friend.' Have-"

"That quote does not help you at all." I gave a stern look.

"What do you-"

"Were they not _my_ parents, too?!" I said through my teeth. Derek tried to hide his cautiousness, but I could see him pulling a knife out of his coat. "Put that knife away. I only want you to remember what you have done."

"So do you want my help?"

**I wouldn't do it.**

"...Okay."

**What?!**

"Good to hear." He put the knife back.

"However, understand that this does not change anything personally. I do not care what the reasons or motives were ten years ago, you burned my parents to death while they were bound to a pole."

"...That's fine with me." We began to walk back to the building.

"Also keep in mind that nearly nobody back at the building will like you, being a former Purifier."

"Only natural."

**Why are you letting this asshole in?!**

_We could use some information from him. The more we know about Andrew, the better._

**Oh, f*** you.**

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><p><span><em>Driftveil City Adam's POV<em>

"So Clay is still the gym leader?" I asked.

"Yup," Maria sighed. She was a bit nervous about being in the town where the rest of her family was. With any luck we could avoid them in time to get into the Chargestone cave.

"So what is this place known for?" Hannah asked. "Mining?"

"That's right," Alex answered. "Basically every precious stone in Unova comes from this city."

"The south half of this city is known for it smelling like fish all the time." Maria said. "Some of the more 'unfortunate' people stay around that area."

"What, they don't have enough ice to store all the fish properly?" I wondered.

"Oh, they do. The fish aren't what gives off the smell." There was an awkward silence, followed by a few cringes from Ruby and Hannah.

"I don't get it...Am I missing something here?"

"...I'll explain later, Adam," Ruby looked around, "I wonder if there's..." I looked in her direction to see what she saw. It was that blond kid from earlier Curtis. He was buying some sort of incense. The guy was out of uniform, wearing a black shirt and dark jeans. He noticed us as soon as he turned to leave the shop. After a simple wave he left like we weren't even there.

"I always wondered about that boy." Frank thought aloud. "He says he's been through a lot..."

"He seems fine to me." I said. The second I said that I remembered Hannah's problem. "...You're okay, Hannah, are you?"

"I'm okay..." Her voice put a few doubts on her words.

"...Two years, and nothing worked?" I asked Frank.

"We tried to find someone. Nobody could figure out a solution."

"Jeez..." Ruby stood silent for a few seconds. "There has to be some reason for it." While all but Maria and I were talking about what could be done, I noticed a few people staring at us. They didn't exactly look friendly.

"What's wrong, Adam?" Maria tugged my arm.

"...We're not welcome here..."

"Huh?" Ruby heard me.

"People are staring at us, and they don't look friendly...should we continue this on Route 6?"

**Route 6 is this way. **Ruby led us through the streets to the route. We stopped at the mouth of the cave. Everyone was unnerved by the people back at the city, especially Ruby.

"Who the hell were those guys? Nobody gives death stares like that casually."

"Those guys," I heard Curtis behind me, "were people that did some unfortunate things in the past."

"How did we not..." I couldn't figure out how I didn't see him. "Where did...But..."

"I'm a master at stealth. I learned from the best. As for those guys...don't worry about them. Andrew's made sure that they won't cause trouble."

"How so?" Ruby asked.

"When a faction that acts more effectively than the police has dirt on you, you're going to lay low...Forever."

"Oh..." Josh said quietly.

"Take a few of these," Curtis threw us a few repels. These didn't look like the ones in the markets. "Joltiks are nasty. Spray this on and you'll be a lot more comfortable in there." Curtis left smiling.

"...That is one weird guy." I thought aloud. "How long have you know him, Maria?"

"We met each other about a year ago, but we've become friends over the past month.

"Oh. Is he a nice guy?" The seven of us entered the cave. The second I went in, I could feel the charged air make everything tingle. Even a few hairs stood up.

"Yeah, but he still takes his place seriously."

"He actually fights?"

"Yup. He's one of the best. There were rumors that Curtis was coming close to becoming the new Fifth of the Feared Four."

"Who was the old-oh...Derek." The thought of him made me grit my teeth. Luckily the blue glowing rocks distracted me from those thoughts.

"...Okay," Ruby said, "if I remember, the groups we were going to split in were..." she took out a piece of paper, "Josh and Frank...Adam and Maria...and Alex, Hannah, and me. We were to meet back here, right?"

"Right," most of us said in unison.

"Okay." We all split up and explored all that we could find. The floating rocks alone amazed me, and made me want to search this place far and wide for other wonders. This was going to be fun.

* * *

><p><span><em>Ruby's POV<em>

This was not going to be fun. Every time I would touch something or even get close to it, I would get shocked and get all startled and annoyed. The other two just laughed whenever it happened, too. We were here for two minutes and I was already bright red with embarrassment.

"Not a fan of electricity?" Alex snickered.

"No. I feel afraid to touch those blue floating rocks."

"Really?" Hannah pushed one of them effortlessly, causing it to hit and stick to another rock just like it, but on the ground. "I'm not feeling anything, not even in human form."

"I'm still not sure about this place."

"Oh, it's fine. Not like we're in the middle of a volcano." Alex slowly started to lean on a wall. "What could a few static shocks do to be so ba-OW!" Alex jumped from the wall he leaned on. Hannah and I both giggled at his sudden jump. "...I needed that."

The electrified air just felt really uneasy to me. I hadn't felt anything like it before, or at least not as strong as this. The region could probably make a power plant using the air. Below me I could see joktiks crawling all over. Curtis wasn't wrong. I did my best to ignore the little things and just try to enjoy this place. The cave did look beautiful. Even the sparks on the ceiling were pleasing to the eye.

"Feeling better now, Ruby?"

"Much." Now that I was ignoring the pesky things, it felt pretty refreshing in here. It was much different from the norm. "Found anything, Hannah?"

"Some sort of rope..."

"Are you..." I read her mind to make sure nothing was acting up in her head. Her sight was in black-and-white. I had serious doubts she was colorblind. There was a deep feeling of anguish inside her. How she could hide it all with a smile I never knew.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not."

"...It's getting worse. I've heard voices."

"Voices?" Alex butted in.

"What did they say?"

"I don't know. It's just gibberish to me."

"...I know this may sound a bit ridiculous, but I think I may know who could solve this problem...Do you think Umbra Vis would-"

"No." Hannah and I both said in unison.

"I'm serious."

"So are we," I replied.

"How do we know this is a problem he couldn't fix. The ghost has existed for thousands of years. The Purifiers based their tech on his work. What could stop him from helping?"

"The fact that he tried to kill us all for a piece of a relic he gave up on afterwards." Hannah grumbled.

"Look, I know he may be lost at heart, but I also know he's trying to make up for everything he's done. He could help us."

"And how are we going to get in touch with him?" I wondered.

"Curtis?" We stood silent. Hannah and I weren't so sure about what Alex was suggesting. "If we do it, everyone wins. Umbra Vis finally gets a start at atonement, so then he'll probably help the Purifiers as well, and Hannah's Lavender Town Syndrome will never be a problem again."

"...Fine." Hannah sighed. "But if he only makes things worse, we're blaming you."

"Okay. How about we try through Curtis once we leave the cave."

* * *

><p><em><span>Adam's POV<span>_

Maria was enjoying this just as much as I was. The static shocks hurt a little, but it was fun to mess around with the walls and rocks of the cave. Maria enjoyed pushing huge, but weightless, floating rocks all around like she was a superhero. It was hard to remember the last time I had so much fun. Seven years of cold and two years of nothing caused me to miss out. Ten whole minutes was nothing but fun and laughter. After that we took a quick breather.

"...That was more fun than I've had in a long time." I sighed while leaning against a wall. The shock didn't really bother me.

"That was great." Maria laughed. She lied down on the floor. Oddly she had a slightly sad look on her face.

"What's wrong?" She sat up, but didn't say anything. "It's okay, you can tell me."

"...It's Alpha."

"What about him?"

"What will happen if he attacks you?"

"...I'll be ready...We all will. Until he comes, though, we should enjoy ourselves before we get dragged into something big."

"Adam? What do you mean 'something big?'"

"...Did Alpha ever tell you that he can see the future...or at least _a _future."

"Yeah..."

"I've been having dreams that feel too real, and they seem to take place after events that haven't happened...I think those may be visions much like his."

"You can see the future, too?"

"He did create his own soul with my power, so it's possible...but his predictions were proven wrong once, and then he...he..." My blood began to boil quickly. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. "He'll pay for what he did to Nathan."

"...Oh..." She seemed at a loss for words.

"Sorry."

"It's okay...so what do you predict?"

"I don't know what to predict..." I sighed. "But we'd better get Hannah some help quickly, and find out why Alpha is so afraid of me."

"What?"

"Alpha said that he learned everything about my star from a book, the same one that says that what's inside of me is nothing more than just an energy reserve. If it can't actually do anything on its own, why does he want to kill me?"

"We don't need to rush." Maria stood. "You said yourself that we should enjoy what time we have." I got up after a few seconds.

"Yeah. I'm sure the others are waiting for us right now." We left to regroup with the others. _Everything will be fine,_ I repeated in my head.

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><p><em><span>Driftveil City Unknown POV<span>_

"Hey, Chief," I said on my Xtransceiver, "we actually have one."

"Already?!"

"Well, we saw a potential one. A real beaut if you ask me."

"So you don't have one?"

"Not yet, but it won't be long before we do."

"Take your time, and don't screw this up. We lost as much attention as we could lose. If this ends badly, we all get it. Remember what they did to John and Clara?"

"How are they relevant to this? They were innocent nobodies."

"So imagine what they'll do to us if we get caught."

"I see...trust me, you won't regret this."

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><p><strong>Please leave reviews. The more opinions that get expressed, the better. See you all later!<strong>

* * *

><p><span>Differences between versions:<span>

-Driftveil City never had a scene in the old version, not even a small one. The Chargestone Cave part was meant to be in the old version, but was never put in.

-In the old version, Umbra Vis was in every scene starting from his introduction. There have been scenes in this version without him, even after his reintroduction.


End file.
